James Tavernier will only be content with the standard set in Europe if it inspires a flurry of Premiership points.

The Rangers skipper has told his team-mates to underline their title credentials in their next five league games over a fortnight before the winter break.

The Light Blues emerged with credit for a Europa League run that saw just two defeats in 14 games, including four qualifiers to reach the group stage.

However, they have stuttered domestically, falling from the summit of the table at Tynecastle just a fortnight ago after losing to Aberdeen and drawing 1-1 with basement boys Dundee.

(Image: PA)

Rangers entertain Hamilton tomorrow and the full-back insists the agony of going so close against Rapid Vienna will only be softened if they’re nip and tuck with Celtic at the end of December.

Tavernier was part of the debacle in Luxembourg 18 months ago when Pedro Caixinha ended up in the bushes in his brown brogues after defeat against Progres Niederkorn.

Now? He’s convinced Steven Gerrard has planted one foot in a promising future, especially if the players deliver in the game against Accies and St Johnstone and two matches against Hibs before the visit of Celtic on December 29.

He said: “It’s night and day from Progres and I want us now to take the levels we have shown in Europe into our league campaign.

“We need to show that desire, energy, hunger and concentration in every single game.

“If we did we would have beaten Aberdeen and Dundee. You can’t just flick a switch and perform at the top level.

“It’s always different playing against sides who are open in Europe, compared to low block teams. But we have a chance of getting a lot of points if we take those aspects into these games.

“It was obviously paramount we got further in Europe for those of us who were at the club for the Progres game.

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Rangers had a better head to head in Group G than Rapid and Villarreal, who qualified into the last 32. And Tavernier, who didn’t miss a game of the Euro run, reflected on the fine margins between success and failure.

He added: “I’m extremely proud of the lads and everyone at Rangers for the journey we have taken in European football.

“We have shown where we can be as a team, especially coming off the back of last season, where we didn’t get past the first round. We don’t just look at Rapid as a missed opportunity. We feel there were a couple of games, such as Spartak Moscow at home, where we could have taken three points.

“In the group stages you must always win your home matches. The two performances against Villarreal were good and we were slightly unlucky not to nick a win over at their place.

“But we could have taken advantage of Spartak. Those two games against Spartak could have changed the dynamic.

“I haven’t experienced anything of this magnitude. The European nights have been out of the this world, especially at home.

(Image: Action Images via Reuters/Lee Smith)

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“It showed what it meant to people on Thursday night, when 10,000 fans travelled and only a couple of thousand got into the stadium. There were thousands of fans out in the streets and around the stadium cheering us on.

“That is why I came to this club. The fans are exceptional. It’s just disappointing we couldn’t get a result for ourselves or the fans.”

Veteran defender Gareth McAuley insists the younger players in the Rangers squad, including Ross McCrorie, Alfredo Morelos and Glenn Middleton, will learn from the experience of the last five months.

He said: “It’s great for the young boys. They are learning on the job at the top level. Some of our lads are 18 or 19 and what they’ve done is incredible.

“The experience of playing games under pressure, such as Rapid Vienna, will stand them in good stead. The lads will draw off the experiences of the campaign and hopefully we can use that for the rest of the season.”